23 news articles posted today (and counting...)

Swedish rock legends Europe will release 10th studio album, "War of Kings," on Tuesday, March 10th in the United States via Hell & Back Recordings.

Europe and Yahoo Music are giving U.S. fans an exclusive chance to listen to "War of Kings" an entire week early. Listen in below, or over at Yahoo.com here.

Recorded at the brand new PanGaia Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, produced by Dave Cobb (Rival Sons) and engineered by John Netti, "War of Kings" sees the quintet confidently creating 11 monstrously melodic, yet hard-hitting classic rock’n’roll standouts. The track listing is as follows:

Danish duo Fossils today calls its radical fanbase together for "The Meating" as the new EP is now available internationally via the butchers at Indisciplinarian.

To aid in the distribution of this fine, fleshy provisions to the masses, the entire EP is now available for streaming below, courtesy of ScenePointBlank.com. You can also see the band live on these dates: More...

Celebrating its 30th year of existence, Brazil’s Sepultura (which was just looked at for Thrashback Thursday last week) will be headlining a tour that includes German thrashers Destruction as direct support and American melodic tech-deathsters Arsis as openers.

“It’s going to be an amazing experience to celebrate a 30-year career with the strongest album we’ve ever made in our history,” states Sepultura guitarist & songwriter Andreas Kisser about the upcoming 33-show trek and latest album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart."

He goes on to say, “We are coming back to America and Canada with full force and with a hunger to destroy everything! Can't wait to perform the songs from the new album on stage! See you all on the road!”

The mayhem begins in Phoenix, Arizona on May 10th and ends on June 14th in Grand Junction, Colorado. Sepultura will be performing one solo show on May 9th. Dates are as follows: More...

Originally released on Feral House in 2004, "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore" will now see an expanded and revised edition coming from author Albert Mudrian (editor-in-chief of Decibel Magazine), sporting an extra 100 pages.

This fully redesigned hardcover version is the inaugural release of brand-new imprint Decibel Books, and will be limited to 3,000 hand-numbered copies. It boasts three new chapters (with new material interspersed among the original 10 chapters), over 50 new interviews (for a total of 200) and a new cover painting by legendary death metal artist Dan Seagrave, recalling elements of his classic Entombed and Morbid Angel album covers.

Why revisit the book in 2015? Mudrian explains: “The decade since Choosing Death’s release treated death and grind fans to unlikely reunions, vital comeback records and previously unimaginable commercial breakthroughs. I couldn’t resist the urge to document one of the most exciting periods in the genres’ history, while also revealing more tales of its first 20 years of rule.”

The new version of "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore" is available for pre-order here. More...

"Sorry Denver, unfortunately due to bad road conditions and highway closure we wont be able to make it to the show tonight. Hanging out in Salt Lake City today, anyone wanna put us up? Message our FB."

Montreal metalcore band Now and On Earth has announced debut album, "Blacked Out," is due to be released on April 14th via Epitaph. Pre-orders for "Blacked Out" are available here and digitally via iTunes.

Listen to "Intoxicated" a track first revealed on Epitaph’s Metalcore Summer sampler at Warped Tour last summer, in the player below. The following press release was also issued about the album:

"As its title suggests, 'Blacked Out,' is a dark and dangerous affair. 'Blacked Out' is a record that’s riddled with depression and despair and which is set in a world on the verge of collapse. The powerful force of these songs battle against that darkness, fighting against it as much as they encourage it. 'Blacked Out' is incredibly intense, aggressive, simultaneously catchy and hook-filled. Now and On Earth's signature sound is underpinned by neo-classical instrumentation, making the songs all that more epic and widescreen.

"Now And On Earth is guitarist Mathieu Maltais, lead singer Marc-Andre Fillion, lead guitarist Charles Pilon, bassist/clean vocalist Anthony Alain-Rossi, keyboard/synth player Phillipe Ferguson, and drummer Phil Beauchamp. With this lineup, their destructive, apocalyptic vision of the world has now fully come to life. Now And On Earth is gearing up to take these songs on the road for the first time. It’s time for the band to watch the world burn and help burn it down."

The new album's track listing is:

01. Intoxicated02. Majesty03. All Direction04. Overtime05. No Way Out06. Blacked Out07. All On You08. Catch You When You Fall09. Vicious Circles10. Interlude11. Lust Over Loyalty12. Your Number Is Up More...

Greek / Swedish melodic death metal band Nightrage has teamed up with MetalSucks.net to stream "Desperate Vows," a new song from the band's upcoming sixth studio album, "The Puritan," set to release on April 24th through Despotz Records.

Stream the new track, featuring a guest vocal appearance from Lawrence Mackrory (Darkane, F.K.Ü.), in the player below. "The Puritan" can be pre-ordered online through the Despotz Record webstore here.

"The Puritan" welcomes new Nightrage vocalist, Ronnie Nyman, to the mix. Nyman joins founding member, guitarist Marios Iliopoulos, and bassist, Anders Hammer, after performing with the band last year on its Japanese and Russian tours.

Album number six was produced by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Devin Townsend, Soilwork) and George Nerantzis at Dugout Productions in Uppsala, Sweden. More...

Ottawa's Of Reverie announced today the band has parted ways with vocalist Michael Labelle. Michael recorded two singles with the band, "Voice of the Fallen" and "Parallels," and you can stream both of them below.

Of Reverie is currently in the studio with Horizons' guitarist, Doug Meadows, finishing the follow-up EP to 2013's "Dreamcatcher." There is currently no talks of a new vocalist, but the band has confirmed there are no plans of stopping.

Michael's departure stands as the band's third split after vocalists Matthias Foks and Eric Williamson left in late 2013. Of Reverie comments:

"We are both happy and sad to announce today that Mikey will no longer be with us. We are very stoked for him with what he has in store! That being said we want to thank you all for your continued support and let you know that we have absolutely no intention of slowing down. We're still working on our new EP and we'll have details coming on that very soon, or maybe even a teaser!"

Michael also had this to say: "As some of you may have already heard, I have parted ways with Of Reverie. I was given an opportunity in January that I could not refuse. I've learned so many things being in this band that have made me a better musician and a better person in general. There is absolutely no bad blood or anything, we are still all friends and talk every day. As for myself, things are not ready to unfold yet but you will find out very soon. Your support is all I can ask for. I hope to see you all later this year." More...

The French occult rockers in Akasava have a wealth of information to spread about their exciting upcoming EP "Strange Aeons."

The band hit the studio last week to begin the recording procedure, and according to frontman Louis Hauguel, “that was one epic day, we've recorded everything except for the vocals! It's going to be heavy & fuzzy from the raw cuts I've listened to!”

The track listing for this EP, due in late spring 2015, is as follows:

1. Join The Ritual2. The Deep3. Sons Of Bastet4. The Witch Is Rising5. Black And White Lady6. And Die!

In addition to this, Akasava has also pro-recorded a live section, taken from a show in Le Havre a couple of weeks ago. Check out one of the clips below, thanks to The Sludgelord. More...

Berlin's Treedeon will release debut album, "Lowest Level Reincarnation," through the fine folks at Exile On Mainstream in North America on April 7th.

A more than fifty-minute-long, full-on, rocked-out sludge assault awaits the listener within these eight raw songs. Today you can hear the album in full below, courtesy of TheSleepingShaman.com. More...

Nashville Pussy is gearing up to release new CD compilation "Ten Years Of Pussy" on SPV/Steamhammer. This 22 track monster takes the best studio tracks of the last decade and even throws in a live bonus EP taken from a blistering 2009 show at Nottingham.

Nashville Pussy hails from Atlanta, deep in the heart of "the BBQ nation" and sounds like ACDC slap boxing with Lynyrn Skynyrd while Motorhead watches. Formed by husband and wife guitarists Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys, Nashville Pussy rose out of the ashes of Cartwright's former band Nine Pound Hammer in 1997. Since then the group has played thousands of gigs in 40 different countries.

"Ten Years Of Pussy" will be released in the USA on May 12th as a 2CD digipak and download through SPV/Steamhammer. The track listing is: More...

The Dutch diabolists from Entrapment have inked a worldwide deal with Pulverised Records to inflict devastation and terror with the arrival of the third as-yet-untitled full-length. The label comments:

"With the group's last effort 'Lamentations Of The Flesh' released almost a year ago, Entrapment head-honcho Michel Jonker wasted no time churning out new morbid tunes which promises to be the band's most definitive work to date.

"Work on the new album has already begun and Entrapent is set to enter Aborted's bass-player JB Van Der Wal's studio for all tracking, mixing and mastering duties, as well as also showcasing the masterful artwork of Marald Van Haaasteren (Bolt Thrower, High On Fire, Wolfbrigade, etc)." More...

John LaMacchia - who formed Spylacopa in the early 00’s - brings you the project's first full length record, and the first new release since the band's 2008 self-titled debut EP.

With a large cast of musicians including members of Isis, Mister Sparx, Palms, Candiria, Made out Of Babies, Slow Parade and Julie Christmas, the new full length, "Parallels," features some of the original line up that appeared on the first release as well as contributions from some new faces.

The delay of the album was partly due to the tragic murder of drummer Troy Young, who was killed in his Brooklyn apartment in December 2009 following an attempted robbery.

John LaMacchia comments: "Troy Young Tracked the drums for all the original material that made up the debut EP and most of what makes up this full length which is a huge reason why this record is being released. These are some of the last recordings of Troy Young tracking drums in a professional setting. After meeting Troys family during the trial of his murder, I felt somewhat obligated to get this record out. Troy would have wanted this record to come out and I feel that this is a way of helping to keep him active and present. He was such a talented young guy who was just getting a foothold in New York City as a working and functioning musician when he was killed.”

The album was Produced by John LaMacchia, mixed by Ken Schalk of Candiria, and mastered by Julian Silva at On Air Mastering. Spylacopa's "Parallels" will be available March 31st, 2015 via Rising Pulse Records, with pre-orders available at this location. More...

On March 17th, Oklahoma City's Dischordia will be releasing a new EP of covers entitled "Sources" entirely for free through Rogue Records America. The first single from the EP, a crushing re-imagining of Thrice's "All The World is Mad," is streaming below. The full track listing is as follows:

1. Three Dimensional Defect ­- Written by Decapitated2. All The World Is Mad ­- Written by Thrice3. Sugar Coated Sour ­- Written by The Dillinger Escape Plan4. Don’t Go Into That Barn -­ Written by Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan

"Since some of these artists are not always direct influences on our sound it was fun to step outside of our comfort zone and bring in non-metal elements," comments guitarist Keeno. "We wanted to pay tribute to our influences while also pushing ourselves stylistically."

Iron Bonehead Productions, in conspiracy with Vault of Dried Bones, is proud to present an exclusive 7" from Radioactive Vomit, titled "Ratsflesh" and due out April 27th. IBP comments:

"Hailing from the cult metal hotbed of Vancouver, Radioactive Vomit thrust forth a vile, sickening brew of bestial black metal and bulldozing D-beat. Coated in copious layers of noise and feedback but always underpinned by a nuclear-powered pulse, Ratsflesh rages right from the beginning and offers no compromise / no remorse / no surrender until the final radioactive seconds trail off into the gutter. In fact, compared to so much modern bestial metal, Radioactive Vomit emit a street-level sort of grime, as suggested by titles like 'Stench of Treachery' and 'Speak With Tongues of Flies' and of course the Ratsflesh title itself, and duly imbue their music with this sense of decay, spiritual or otherwise. Feast upon Ratsflesh..."

In celebration of Record Store Day on April 18th, Metallica will release "No Life 'til Leather" as a limited edition cassette.

The seven tracks were recorded in 1982 in Tustin, CA by the band's original lineup of James Hetfield: lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Lars Ulrich: drums, Dave Mustaine: lead guitar, and Ron McGovney: bass.

Straight from the archives, the original source material has been re-mastered to maximize the sound potential for 2015 without altering the original mixes. Metallica comments:

"This year we decided to celebrate Record Store Day with our friends at independent retail by taking a huge leap back in time to our humble beginnings with that little rectangle of plastic known as the 'demo tape.' In 1982 we recorded seven songs that became our initial calling card known as 'No Life 'til Leather' and it led us to our first record deal... the rest, as you some of you may know, is history! We hope you enjoy this little walk down memory lane with us and that you will continue to join us in supporting independent record stores around the world."

Look for expanded versions coming on CD, vinyl and a collector's set sometime this Summer. The track listing is as follows:

Originally released in 1996, "Wicher" by the pagan black metal outfit Sacrilegium is now seeing re-issue via Pagan Records on March 6th, 2015.

Ahead of the official release, we're proud to premiere a stream of the entire new version of "Wicher." If you miss the '90s sound in underground European metal, be sure to listen in below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

"Wicher" will be available on double-gatefold vinyl, complete with bonus track, lyrics and previously unreleased photos. Order your own copy at this location.

And more good news for Sacreligium fans: the band is officially reunited and now working on a new album. Stay tuned for more info on the impending release. More...

The Ukrainian metalcore band Down & Dirty from Kiev, best known as the follow-up project of Make Me Famous founder Denis Shaforostov, just posted a new playthrough video for "Move It" which was released last year via Sumerian Records.

Check out Stas Belove of Down & Dirty playing "Move It" on his Schecter guitar below.

Greek technical death metal band Sickening Horror is about to release its third album titled "Overflow", after the 2007 debut album "When Landscapes Bled Backwards" (with Nile's drummer George Kollias in the line-up) and 2009's follow-up "The Dead End Experiment". Today the band offers you a first taste of what "Overflow"will sound like and premieres a new song entitled "Interstellar" below.

Sickening Horror's new effort will be released on March 17 via Deepsend Records and can be pre-ordered HERE.